Despicable Wedding
by AnimationNut
Summary: Sequel to Aftermath. Gru and Lucy are getting married and their household is soon in an uproar during the wedding preparations. The Minions get their tasks done (barely), Agnes loses her dress, Dr. Nefario mixes up the dates and is almost a no-show. Nothing unusual for life in the Gru residence.
1. Proposal

**I do not own the _Despicable Me_ franchise.**

 **With the release of Despicable Me 3, I figure it's a good time to publish the sequel I promised in _Aftermath._ You don't really have to read _Aftermath_ to read this story, though.**

* * *

 **Proposal**

Felonious Gru had never been so nervous before in his life.

He had faced many dangers in his past career as a super villain that didn't make him bat an eye. His mother was constantly criticizing him and cutting him down. He was the father of three girls who differed in age; the eldest twelve, the middle nine and the youngest six. He should have been immune to nervousness and anxiety by now.

Apparently not.

Sitting in a grand and expensive restaurant, Gru adjusted the black tie that hung around his neck and eyed his girlfriend of eighteen months, Lucy Wilde. The redhead was inspecting the menu with a slight frown on her face as she struggled to understand exactly what kind of food was being advertised.

"You know, I've been in many different countries," Lucy remarked. "I just came back from Paris, for heaven's sake. I ate snail. I ate frog legs. I know you couldn't have left the girls for that long but I wish you all could have been there, and I bet Edith would have loved trying frog legs. Anyway, when I say that I have no idea what any of this stuff is it's _really_ saying something."

"Mmm-hmm." Gru nodded, his mind too busy running through the speech he had prepared to come up with a proper response.

Lucy peeked at her boyfriend overtop the sleek menu. Gru was staring at the marble fountain by the arched entry, deep in thought. "Gru?" Lucy prodded. "Is everything okay?"

"Huh? Oh! Yes, evert'ing ees just fine," Gru said hastily, snapping out of his thoughts. "So, what are yoo thinkeeng of ordereeng?"

Lucy placed the menu flat on the table, the dinner choices facing upwards. She closed her eyes and jabbed her finger randomly. "Um…" She opened her eyes and studied the choice her finger had landed on. "Eggplant and lamb stew. Ew, I don't think so. Okay, one more time."

Gru shook his head in amusement and glanced at his own menu. "I t'ink I'm goeeng to go weeth de pork chops weeth raspberry sauce."

"And I'm going to go with-" Lucy opened her eyes once more and checked the choice. "Souvlaki? What is that?"

"Don't ask me. My diet ees made up of macaroni and cheese, peeza and bananas," Gru chuckled.

Lucy whipped out her A.V.L designated cellphone and brought up the internet. "Souvlaki-made up of pork tenderloin, yellow onions, bell peppers, garlic. Now this is what I'm talking about!"

"What's wrong weeth eggplant and lamb stew?" Gru asked teasingly.

"Come on, eggplants and lamb together? Not for me, thank you." Lucy waved a waiter over and the two placed their order. When the waiter walked away Lucy turned to Gru with a quizzical expression. "I've been meaning to ask, why did you pick such a ritzy place for our date?"

Gru coughed as his heart began to pound again. "Er…well, eet ees our one hundred and forty-seventh date. I t'ought eet should be a special occasion."

"Aw." Lucy smiled. "That's sweet. Wow, I can't believe we've been dating for a year and a half! Time sure flies when you're with the greatest man in the world."

A soft smile crossed Gru's face and he reached over, gently brushing his fingers over her cheek. "Yoo are not so bad yoorself."

"Have I ever told you that you're quite the romantic?" Lucy joked. She leaned over the table and gave Gru a quick peck on the lips. "I'll be right back. The ladies' room is calling my name."

Gru rested against the back of his chair and watched as his girlfriend sauntered off, her red hair swaying behind her. An anxious sigh escaped him and he wrung his hands together nervously. "Soon, Gru. Soon yoo weell have to ask de question."

The small, black box felt like a heavy weight in his pocket. Gru could see the simple diamond engagement ring clearly in his mind. A ring that he hoped would be on Lucy's finger shortly.

Dating for a year and a half was, for most, too short a time span for a marriage proposal to even be considered. But Gru knew from early on that spending the rest of his life without Lucy Wilde was out of the question. He wanted her to be his wife, to be the mother of his beloved girls.

All he needed to do was pop the question.

 _Easier said than done,_ Gru thought, tugging on his collar. Even though he was almost positive Lucy would say yes, he still couldn't help but worry.

The waiter arrived with their food and a minute later Lucy returned to her seat. "The stalls are painted _gold_! And there are miniature take-home soaps in little wire baskets!" She opened her purse to reveal a dozen round, coloured, sweet-smelling soaps.

"I t'ink yoo are only supposed to take one," Gru said in amusement.

"If I have to pay thirty-five dollars for one dish then I can take more than one soap, Mister I-Sneak-Free-Refills-When-I'm-Not-Supposed-Too."

"Dose cups were too small," Gru defended.

Lucy laughed and picked up her fork. She stabbed a piece of her Souvlaki and popped it in her mouth. "Hmm…pretty good."

"For thirty-five dollars eet better be," Gru laughed and tried his own meal. It wasn't too bad, though he wasn't fond of the raspberry sauce.

After a while Lucy had finished off her plate and Gru had about a quarter of his meal left. He set his fork and knife aside and took a drink of his sparkling water. "Remind me not to come here again."

"I dunno, I liked my meal." Lucy patted her stomach contentedly. "For a weird name it tasted pretty good. Are you going to pack that up for later?"

"Eet won't last long een my household," Gru snorted. "De minions don't understand de meaneeng of 'stay out of de fridge'."

"Put it on a high shelf." Lucy grinned mischievously. "You shouldn't have any problems."

"Trust me, de minions don't let anyt'ing stop dem when dey want somet'ing."

Lucy laughed softly and glanced over her shoulder. "I guess we should get the bill. I hope they give little mints, I love those."

"Before we do dat, I have somet'ing I need to say."

Surprised by the sudden seriousness in Gru's voice, Lucy turned around and frowned in concern. "Is something wrong?"

"No, de opposite, actually." Gru took a quick breath to calm his nerves. "Lucy, for de past eighteen months yoo have made me de happiest man alive, as clichéd as dat sounds. Yoo are an amazing woman and I am lucky to have yoo as my girlfriend. I love yoo so much, the gurls adore yoo, and I am hopeeng dat yoo weell consider becomeeng a wife and mother."

Gru got down on one knee and held out the box, the diamond shimmering in the lighting. Lucy's face went slack with shock for only a second before her eyes welled with happy tears. "Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!"

Relief and delight coursed through Gru's veins. He slipped the engagement ring on Lucy's ring finger and swept her into his arms amidst applause from the other restaurant-goers. They shared a quick, deep kiss before pulling apart.

"Darn, you made me cry." Lucy gave a half-hearted pout and wiped the tears off of her cheeks. "But since it's because you proposed, you're off the hook."

Gru smiled and kissed her forehead. "I have a feeleeng dis weell be de only time I'll ever be 'off de hook'."

"Ah, so you know about married life already. Good. That means I won't have to go easy on you."

…

"You know, it's just my luck," Lucy sighed, lingering in the doorway of her apartment. "On the night of my engagement I'm filling out reports instead of spending it with my soon-to-be husband."

Gru tapped her nose lightly. "Dat's what happens when yoo procrastinate. Yoo can stop by tomorrow after work, eef yoo want."

"I do want. I want very much."

"Den I weell see yoo tomorrow." Gru gave her a kiss goodbye. "And film de expression on Ramsbottom's face when yoo tell him yoor engaged."

Lucy rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Goodnight, Gru."

"Goodnight, Lucy."

The ex-villain returned to his massive, steel Gru-mobile in high spirits. He was going to get married to Lucy, the girl of his dreams. The very thought sent his heart fluttering and a wide grin to cross his face. He couldn't remember a time when he had been in a happier mood.

Nothing would be able to ruin this beautiful night. At least, that's what he thought.

A thought that was immediately shattered the second he stepped foot into his once-clean household.


	2. Household of Crazy

**I do not own the _Despicable Me_ franchise.**

 **Minion speak is written backwards, so review would be weiver.**

* * *

 **Household of Crazy**

 _"_ _What have yoo done to my house?!"_

The angry bellow echoed throughout the mansion, causing the dozens of minions and his three girls to freeze where they were. With guilty expressions dozens of eyes turned to stare at the boss of the household, who was currently fighting to keep his fury to a minimal.

It was not often that he got terribly angry with his minions or his girls. They shared the ability of looking irresistibly cute, so much so that their wide-eyed, misty stare often melted him. But seeing the interior of his house looking like the inside of a cream puff, he was rightly irked.

"Um…" Stuart looked helplessly at his brothers, who only shrugged in response to his silent plea for help. "Uh…yrros."

" _Sorry_?" Gru hissed. "Ees dat all yoo can say?"

For the first time, Stuart took a good look around and winced. From the living room to the kitchen to halfway up the stairs, there was a thick sheet of whipped cream covering every available surface. Blue cans were clutched in multiple hands and most were drenched in the dessert topping.

"We are really sorry," Margo apologized, her voice timid. "Things kind of got out of hand."

"I can see dat!" Gru waved his arms madly. "Margo, yoo are twelve! Yoo are old enough to take responsibility!"

"I know, I know, I should have done something." Margo cast her head down. "I'm sorry."

Gru rubbed his forehead and sighed. Margo was certainly mature and wise for her age and it was not often that she got into trouble. She was a preteen who had spent most of her childhood taking care of her sisters. She didn't get to act wild and be goofy. If he were to be honest, he enjoyed the moments when his eldest daughter loosened up and had simple, childish fun with her sisters and cousins.

He just wished their fun wasn't at the expense of his house.

When he removed his hand from his eyes it was to see over a dozen puppy-dog stares. The lingering fumes of anger melted away and he shook his head. "Dat's eet. Yoo are all grounded for be-eeng adorable." Hopeful smiles lit up their faces. "Clean up dis mess and maybe yoo won't get any further punishment."

"We will!" Margo promised.

"We'll do the best job ever!" Agnes agreed eagerly.

"Um…I'll supervise?" Edith volunteered.

Gru smirked and patted the blonde on the head. "Funny. Yoo can help clean up de kitchen."

"I thought so." Edith pouted and started to head to the kitchen. Her eyes suddenly widened with remembrance and she whirled around. "Hey! Wait a minute! Tonight's the night you proposed to Lucy, right?"

Margo and Agnes' eyes shone with eagerness and they looked up at their adoptive father expectantly. The minions gazed at their boss curiously. Gru paused for a moment in suspense before smiling. "I did. She said yes."

Three shrill screams rang off the walls as Margo, Edith and Agnes danced together in elation. "Lucy's gonna be our mom, Lucy's gonna be our mom!" Agnes sang.

The minions clapped and whistled, as they were quite fond of the redhead who snuck them sugary sweets when Gru and Dr. Nefario weren't looking and played games with them. "Yaaaay!"

"Yes, yes, yaaaay! Now go get de rags and mops and buckets of water. Yoo got quite de mess to clean up and eet's almost bedtime."

The cheer faded and the group filed off to collect the cleaning supplies from cupboards and closets. Gru shook his head and cast a quick glance at the clock. He scowled in annoyance upon discovering that the clock hanging on the wall had whipped cream smeared over the glass.

"I can't leave anyone een dis place alone," he muttered.

He went upstairs, avoiding the slick cream covering the wooden steps, and was relieved to see that the whipped cream battle had been confined downstairs. Gru took a quick shower and got into his pajamas. He buttoned up his black flannel pajama top and peered at the glowing numbers of his digital alarm clock. It was nine, so he would wait an hour before putting his girls to bed. It was a bit later than their regular bedtime, but they would live.

Gru ventured back downstairs to see how the cleaning was progressing and came upon a familiar sight-bickering minions. "Hey, hey!"

Bob and Jerry, who had been slapping each other with their wet rags, paused in their fighting and stood at attention. "Boss?"

"Don't 'Boss' me. Why do yoo guys always have to be fighteeng?"

"S'ti ni ruo erutan," Bob answered honestly. "Ew t'nac pleh ti."

"Try to get along, hmm? Dis stuff ees goeeng to leave behind quite de stickiness eef left alone. Who started de battle, anyway?"

The two fell silent and stared at the floor. Gru gave a soft sigh and couldn't help the smile that stretched across his face. If it had been one of their brothers that had instigated the battle the name would have spewed from their lips in a heartbeat. But their silence meant that one of his girls had started the whipped cream war and they refused to say who (even though Gru had a pretty good idea).

"Yoo guys spoil de gurls too much." He patted their heads affectionately. "I bet half de t'ings yoo get een trouble for was not actually yoor fault."

"No, tsom era." Jerry grinned mischievously. "Dna yeht erew nuf."

"Bad eenfluences," Gru scoffed teasingly. "De whole lot of yoo. I don't know where yoo get eet from."

He left them to their work and checked on his daughters, who were wiping down the kitchen table and floor. He gave a nod of approval and headed for the transport tube. After a moment the ex-villain appeared in his lab, which was nearly empty due to the late hour and lack of work.

Gru walked out of the lab, down a chamber and opened the door that led to the minions' recreation room. Save for the ones cleaning upstairs, the entire minion population was sprawled in front of the giant, widescreen television, crowded together on couches, sofas, on the wire beams supporting the ceiling and filling up the long, spiralling staircase. In the middle of the splash of yellow was Dr. Nefario, snoring away on a lounge chair.

"Seriously, what am I payeeng yoo for?" Gru demanded, sparing only a quick glance for the soap opera playing on the television.

"Gnihton," Morrison answered, his one eye glued to the screen. "Tub s'that yako."

"Hey, eef yoo are just goeeng to lounge about my house, why should I keep payeeng yoo?"

"Uoy evol su," Dave said cheekily, tearing his eyes away from the soap opera to grin endearingly at his boss.

Well, he couldn't exactly argue with that.

Gru rolled his eyes and waded through the small yellow bodies to get to his oldest and dearest (and most exasperating) friend. "Dr. Nefario!"

The man didn't even stir.

"Unless yoo are dead, yoo better wake up _right now!_ "

His sudden change in volume startled most of his minions, who jumped in fright. Dr. Nefario jolted awake and looked wildly about before noticing Gru standing impatiently beside the lounge. "Oh, Gru. Back from your date, I see. How'd it go? The girl say yes?"

"Yes, yes, she did." Gru tried to keep the delighted smile from surfacing, for his upcoming lecture would not be as scathing if he did it in a cheerful tone. He let the minions shout out their congratulations before fixing a stern gaze on the elderly man. "Do yoo know what de upstairs looks like?"

Dr. Nefario hesitated. "I'm hoping it looks the same way I left it after I paid the delivery boy."

"Eet does not-wait, yoo what? What did yoo order?"

"Pizza."

Gru slapped his forehead, a frustrated groan escaping his throat. "I _told_ yoo dat dere was stew een de fridge for de gurls to have for dinner!"

"That toxic mush?" Dr. Nefario snorted. "You could kill a small army of vampires with your stew, it has so much garlic."

"Eet ees good for yoo," Gru said through clenched teeth.

"Ylno fi er'uoy gniyrt ot lepxe a nomed s'taht nekat revo ruoy ydob," Phil joked.

"Okay, enough basheeng on my deleecious stew!" Gru snapped. "I am gone for two hours and de upstairs ends up lookeeng like eet got hit weeth a whipped cream-filled bomb! When did yoo last check on de gurls and de other minions?"

"Um…uh…when I paid the delivery guy?"

"Which was?" Gru prompted.

"Half an hour after you left," Dr. Nefario admitted, a bit sheepishly.

"I knew eet!" Gru slapped the back of the lounge chair. "Yoo let dem vandalize my house!"

"Now, boy, it's only whipped cream-"

"Eet was whipped cream _now_. Next time, eet might be paint, or mud, or-or-"

"I see your point," Dr. Nefario interrupted Gru before he could go on and continue listing the things the children and minions could have used to muck up the mansion. "I am sorry, Gru, I just got caught up in my soaps. That's all."

"Yoo remember the lab accident of '99?" Gru asked, crossing his arms.

"That was the nastiest explosion we've ever had," Dr. Nefario said musingly.

"And _who_ left de chemicals unattended weeth Kevin because dey got 'caught up een dere soaps'?"

"Whoa, whoa!" Kevin frowned. "On eno dlot em esoht slacimehc t'ndid og llew rehtegot! Sediseb, m'I a boomba trepxe, ton a lacimehc trepxe."

" _My point_ ees dat all I want ees for _yoo_ to _not_ get caught up een yoor soaps and keep an eye on de gurls and de more…impulsive minions," Gru stated. "Can yoo do dat next time?"

Dr. Nefario saluted his partner mockingly. "Will do, General."

"Good. Yoo are dismissed," Gru returned and turned on his heel, leaving the minions and man to continue watching their soap opera.

Gru had barely taken two steps out of the recreation room when an almighty _bang_ sounded from above, followed by the distant sound of cackling minions and his middle daughter exclaiming loudly,

 _"_ _Gru is_ so _going to kill you, Bob."_


	3. A Spring Date

**I do not own the** ** _Despicable Me_** **franchise.**

 **Minion speak is written backwards, so review would be weiver.**

* * *

 **A Spring Date**

When Lucy arrived at the Gru household the following afternoon, it was to see Jerry on top of a tall ladder, scrubbing furiously at the ceiling. Slipping her key into her pocket, the redhead peered at the minion curiously. "What are you doing?"

"Gninaelc," he replied, a soft frown on his features.

 _"_ _Lucy!"_

A small body charged out of the kitchen and launched herself at Lucy. Laughing, she caught Agnes and squeezed her tightly. "Hey, sweetie! How are you?"

"Good," she answered cheerfully. "I'm having a tea party. Do you wanna join me?"

"In a little bit. Is Gru here?"

"He's in the backyard. I'll go get him!"

And she was off like a shot, returning a minute later with Gru in tow. "Are you gonna talk about wedding stuff?" she asked eagerly.

Gru rolled his eyes. "For de last time, not right now. Go play with your seesters."

"But I'm having a tea party."

"Den go have your tea party."

"Okay. I'll save you a seat, Lucy!" Agnes shot the woman a smile before taking off.

"So they're okay with us marrying, then?" Lucy asked. "I don't want them to feel uncomfortable or anything-"

Gru snorted, causing her to pause. "Are yoo kidding? Dey are over de moon. Dey can't wait for yoo to be deir mother."

A warm feeling spread through Lucy's chest. "Really? Oh, good."

 _"_ _Ti t'now emoc ffo!"_

The two adults peered up at the minion, who was now scowling in irritation. Lucy furrowed her brow at the white blob that clung to the ceiling. "What's that?"

"Whipped cream. Yoo should of seen dis place last night. Eet was a war zone." Gru crossed his arms. "Keep trying. Eet'll come off eventually."

"Yhw t'nod uoy yrt?" complained Jerry. "Ev'I neeb ereh lla yad!"

"Den yoo shouldn't have made dat mess een de first place."

Jerry huffed and reluctantly continued his scrubbing. Lucy frowned. "Aw, can't you give the little guy a break?"

"Dis ees deir fault. Dey clean eet up."

Margo hurried into the room then, brandishing a spray bottle full of green liquid. "Jer, I think this will get it off!"

Jerry sighed in relief. "Yllanif."

The brunette spotted her future mother and beamed. "Hi, Lucy! I'm so excited for the wedding."

"You and me both, hon. How've you been?"

"Good, up until last night. Now I'm helping Jerry clean up the lingering mess."

Gru nodded in approval. "Dat's very mature of yoo." His brow then furrowed. "What's een de bottle?"

Margo handed Jerry the new cleaning solution. "It's been taking us forever to get rid of this blob, so I went to Uncle Nefario for some help. He whipped this up!"

Gru's eyes widened. _"Don't spray eet!"_

But it was too late.

A green mist drifted up to the ceiling. A sickening _crunch_ was heard as a portion of the ceiling started to peel from the supports of the house as the chemicals started to eat away at the materials.

 _"_ _Everyone out of here!"_

Jerry jumped from the ladder and tumbled to the floor. He quickly picked himself up and hightailed it to the kitchen, close on the heels of Margo, Lucy and Gru. They took cover in the kitchen, flinching at the loud crash the falling debris made.

Slowly, they peeked around the doorframe. The living room was filled with dust and plaster, and there was a modest sized hole in the ceiling, reveling the blue afternoon sky.

Jerry scratched his head. "Ta tsael eht deppihw maerc si enog."

Gru gave him a slight smack. "Not funny," he snapped, yanking the bottle from the minion's grip. "What _ees_ dis?"

 _"_ _What in bloody blazes is happening up there?"_

Nefario's voice drifted from the living room. The group hurried out of the kitchen and across the hall, where they found the elderly man's face filling the big screen television. Margo pointed to the bottle in Gru's hand. "It worked too well, Uncle Nefario," she reported. "It ate away at the ceiling."

He blinked. _"Oh. Er…how much damage?"_

"I have a sunroof!" snapped Gru. "I did not want a sunroof! De birds are goeeng to get een here! I hate birds!"

 _"_ _The minions will patch it up in an instant."_

"No, no, no! De minions are goeeng to bring de whole roof down!"

Jerry put his hands on his hips. "Ew lliw ton!"

"Come on, they'll do fine," assured Margo. "I'll even supervise so they don't fight."

The man pursed his lips for a moment before sighing in defeat. "Fine. Nefario, send up some minions. Margo, make sure dey don't destroy de house. Jerry, don't destroy de house."

"Got it!" said Margo, giving her adoptive father a salute. Jerry copied her actions with a, "Boss!"

Gru shook his head, took Lucy by the hand and brought her into the kitchen. He gave her a quick kiss and when they pulled apart he said, "Sorry for de delayed greeteeng."

Lucy smiled contentedly. "It was worth waiting for."

"Would yoo like some tea?"

"Please." The redhead settled herself in the small kitchen booth. "Where's Edith?"

"Probably destroyeeng somet'ing of mine," he replied. "She finally got out of de ninja suit, so her antics are not as destructive. But dat ees not sayeeng a lot."

Lucy laughed. "I wish had her kind of energy. It'd come in handy when I'm doing mind-numbingly boring paperwork."

Gru turned away from the kettle with a mischievous expression. "Did yoo tell Ramsbottom?"

She smirked. "Not really. He saw the ring and put two and two together. He wasn't happy. His lips got all tight and he's been avoiding me all day."

"He's bothered. Good."

The kettle started to whistle and Gru fixed up a cup of tea, the way she liked it. Sliding the blue mug across the table, he settled across from her. Lucy took a sip before eyeing him. "I know you just proposed yesterday, and I don't mean to be pushy, but I'm…I'm really excited, and I can't wait, and I was wondering if we could maybe set a tentative date. So I have something to look forwards to, even if it isn't a solid thing."

Gru blinked. "Er…sure. I don't really have any ideas…"

Lucy ran her thumb around the rim of her mug. "Well…what about a spring wedding?" she proposed, taken back to her daydreams as a young girl envisioning her future wedding. Now she was actually getting married, and she hoped to match it to her daydreams as closely as possible.

Gru thought about it. Spring wouldn't be too warm or too cool. They would have to worry about rainy weather, but he could get Nefario to analyze the weather patterns to predict the weather for the week leading up the wedding.

Well…Nefario, Margo, and a few of the more responsible minions.

"Sounds good," he agreed.

Lucy brightened. "Great! I was thinking May. It's later on in the spring season so we shouldn't be surprised by freak snowstorms."

"Smart t'inkeeng. What about de venue? I was leaneeng towards haveeng eet outside."

"The wedding or the reception?" questioned Lucy.

"Both."

"That sounds adorable and romantic," she agreed with a bright smile.

Gru sighed in relief. "I'm glad yoo t'ink so. Dat ees really de only t'ing I want, so yoo can come up with de rest, eef yoo like."

Though not unhappy with being given free reign, the redhead could not help but ask, "How come you want to have it outside? I'm totally all for it, but you must have a reason for wanting to have an outside wedding so strongly."

The ex-villain rubbed the back of his neck. "Churches tend to be small or modest sized. Dere wouldn't be enough room to fit de minions."

Lucy could feel herself melting. "Aw! You're so sweet!"

"Well, I'm not goeeng to have de weddeeng without dem. Eet's a family affair and dey are family."

The redhead nodded. "Absolutely. I couldn't imagine a wedding without them."

Relieved that she felt the same way about the minions as he did, he was once more reminded of why he loved her so much. "Yoo know dat somet'ing crazy will most likely happen."

"I'm counting on it."

"So…beginneeng of May or de end?" asked Gru.

"Middle," decided Lucy. "Like…the fifteenth. I don't know why, but that sounds like a good date to me."

Gru nodded in amusement. "I have no arguments."

"Great! So we have a tentative date. Now we just have to work out the minor details…perhaps sooner rather than later?" ventured Lucy hopefully.

"How about we give eet a month before we start talkeeng about de nitty gritty?"

The redhead nodded. "Yeah, of course. It can totally be more than that-"

"A month ees fine," interrupted Gru. "Trust me, de gurls are goeeng to be on me to start getteeng everyt'ing together. May will be here before we know eet."

Lucy furrowed her brow in confusion for a moment before her eyes widened. "You mean _this_ May?"

Gru blinked in confusion. "Er…yes. Ees dat a problem?"

 _"_ _No!_ I mean, no! It's totally fine," she said, grinning widely. "It's perfect."

Practically swelling with happiness, she finished her tea and got up to put her empty mug in the sink. She frowned. "Um…wasn't there a sink there before?" she asked, pointing at the empty spot between a pair of cupboards.

Gru rolled his eyes. "Bob blew eet up. Dis ees de sort of stuff yoo are getteeng eento, just so yoo know. Yoo can back out at any time."

Lucy grinned. "Are you kidding? I love crazy! I _am_ crazy!"

The man smiled. "Den yoo'll fit right een."


	4. Minion Labour

**I do not own the Despicable Me franchise.**

 **Minion speak is written backwards. For example, review is weiver.**

* * *

 **Minion Labour**

It was a month later when Gru and Lucy sat down together to craft their wedding plan. Neither wanted anything extravagant and it helped that they had over ten thousand minions to help them set things up. There was no need to hire a caterer (Henry, Jackson and Ralph were cooking whizzes) or a decorator (the girls would be more than happy to help). All they really needed to do was find the place to hold both the ceremony and reception, hire a florist, create the invite list, purchase the necessary supplies and rent some tables and chairs.

As Lucy did not have family, her single request was to invite Ramsbottom along with a few other friends from work. Though Gru was not entirely happy, he would not deny her. She sent him a grateful look and took his hand in her own.

"Thank you. I know you don't like him very much, but he's been really good to me. What about you? Any friends you want to invite?"

"Er…I do not really have friends," said Gru, rubbing the back of his neck with his other hand.

"Come on, there must be someone," insisted Lucy. "What about your neighbour?"

"Fred?" Gru wrinkled his nose. "I don't like his dog."

Lucy laughed. "You don't have to invite his dog, silly."

Gru thought about it. He didn't want to invite too many people to his wedding. There were more than enough people to his liking that knew about the minions. It was unavoidable, since he couldn't keep them cooped up. But he managed to keep their existence a secret for the most part, with only a few neighbours knowing.

"I suppose so," he agreed. "Might as well eenvite Jillian. De woman will never let me leeve eet down eef I do not. Wheech means she will breeng Shannon weeth her."

"I'll try not to shoot her with a tranquillizer dart," joked Lucy.

They added a few more names to the short list, and Lucy insisted that she could get the invitations made and printed. "You can issue the other tasks to the muchkins," she said, shouldering her purse and getting up from the kitchen table. "I'll go deliver that report to Silas. Thanks for finishing it, by the way."

"No problem. See yoo later." Gru gave her a kiss goodbye and watched her leave. His heart tingled with nervous anticipation for the date that he knew would arrive quickly. Straightening his black leather jacket, he picked up the second list they had created, the one that listed the jobs for the minions.

"Is it wedding time yet?" Agnes asked hopefully when he entered the living room.

Gru laughed. "Not yet, sweetie." He stroked her hair back. "Before yoo know eet, eet will be time."

"I can't wait!" Agnes bounced on her toes. "Lucy said we can go dress shopping with her! I'm the flower girl!"

Edith, who was lounging on the couch, rolled her eyes. "As you've said a million times," she grumbled.

"She's just excited," chided Gru. "Aren't yoo?"

"Sure. But I don't like dresses."

"Yoo can wear yoor hat."

Her grey eyes lit up as her hand moved to touch her beloved pink beanie. "Sweet!"

Shaking his head in amusement (as Edith was hardly ever so easy to appease) Gru continued his way to the elevator. When he reached the lab, it was to see the minions busy at work, attempting to fix the foul-tasting jam that their boss insisted they would get right eventually.

" _Assemble the minions!"_ he bellowed, and in an instant there was a flurry of activity as the yellow creatures stopped what they were doing and frantically tried to get to the meeting room as quickly as they could, hollering the message to their brethren as they did so.

Gru took a different route, one that would bring him straight to the center of the stage he used to conduct the meetings with his workers. When he stood in the middle of the high, wide platform, the sea of yellow was rapidly growing before him as his workers gathered.

He waited a moment or two before clearing his throat. "As yoo know, de weddeeng between Lucy and I will happen een May." He paused briefly to let the minions cheer. "So I theenk eet ees a good idea eef I assign de jobs now."

"Tiaw!" cried Bob, who was among those standing close to the stage. "Ew evah ot krow?"

Gru set his hands on his hips. "Of course yoo have to work. I am not goeeng to work on my own weddeeng."

"Tahw od ew evah ot od?" asked Carl reluctantly.

"Henry, Jackson, yoo will take a group of ten minions and cook de menu Lucy and I geeve yoo."

"Ni egrahc!" the two whooped, high-fiving.

"Ralph, yoo and five others will make de cake."

"Yay!" Ralph cheered. He was already imaging the amount of frosting he would get to consume during the construction of the cake.

"Mel, yoo will take thirty others to help yoo set up de tables and chairs."

"Nuf," drawled Mel, crossing his arms.

"No sass." Gru wagged a finger at him. "And no shortcuts."

"Tog ti." Mel saluted him.

"Everyone else, yoo will be expected to help when asked. No complaints. Yoo will also listen to dose put een charge of certain tasks."

"Ekil em," spoke Ralph, a mischievous grin on his face.

Gru rolled his eyes. "Do not let eet get to yoor head," he warned. "I can reassign yoo whenever I want."

Though in this particular case, he didn't want to. Ralph was well known for his baked goods, and he really didn't want to put any other minion on cake duty.

"Tahw tuoba eht cisum?" Kevin hollered.

"We haven't decided on de music yet."

"Ew nac od ti!" he said eagerly.

Arching an eyebrow, Gru crossed his arms. "Who ees 'we'?"

"Em!" called Bob.

"Em!" added Carl.

"Dna em!" Stuart threw his arms out wide.

"…no."

"Yhw ton?" demanded Kevin.

"I've heard yoo sing," said Gru dryly. "Freddie Mercury yoo are not."

"Llew, ohw lliw uoy teg?" asked Bob.

"I don't know. Maybe we'll hire a DJ-"

"Er'uoy oot paehc rof taht," dismissed Kevin. "Ew krow rof eerf." At the disbelieving expression his boss sent him, he added, "Ni a rennam fo gnikaeps, yawyna."

" _Tel meht gnis! Tel meht gnis!"_ their brethren chanted, thousands of voices rising up in a thunderous roar.

Gru ran a hand down his face in exasperation. "Alright!" he shouted. "Alright! I will see what Lucy theenks. But I make no promeeses."

Kevin grinned. "Ehs sevol su."

"Ll'ew yrt ton ot egatspu uoy," assured Carl.

Gru pursed his lips together as his minions burst into laughter. He sometimes wondered how in the world he handled having thousands of the yellow creatures living under his roof.

Then he remembered. He was just as crazy as they were.


	5. Missing Dress

**I do not own the Despicable Me franchise.**

 **Minion speak is written backwards. For example, review is weiver.**

* * *

 **Missing Dress**

As April arrived, wedding preparations were in full swing in the Gru household. An ivory invitation was stuck on the fridge with a ladybug magnet, listing the details of the wedding in elaborate cursive writing. They would have the ceremony and the reception in the local park, both Gru and Lucy using their resources to make it their private property for the day.

"I'm goeeng to work," called Gru from the entryway, shrugging on his jacket.

"Bye!" called Margo from upstairs.

"Bye!" hollered Edith over the sounds of her video game, which emitted from the living room.

There was the sound of small feet pattering against the hardwood floor and then Agnes poked her head around the corner. "Bye Gru! Love you!"

"Bye keeten, I love you too." His eyes then zeroed in on a piece of white fabric swishing around Agnes' foot, which was sticking slightly out from behind the wall. "Whoa! What are yoo wearing?"

Agnes hopped into full view, the sparkles on her wedding dress catching the light. "My dress! I'm having a dance party."

"Yoo have plenty of other dresses to wear for yoor dance party," said Gru sternly. "Yoo know yoo are not supposed to wear yoor dress until the wedding. I don't want anyt'ing to happen to it."

"I'll be really careful," insisted Agnes.

Gru refrained from mentioning that she had spilled syrup on herself only that morning. "I t'ink we better be on de safe side. Dat dress was not cheap. Go upstairs and change, okay? Margo will help yoo."

Agnes pouted but did not argue further. "Okay."

"Thank yoo." Gru opened his arms and Agnes' face immediately lit up. She charged into his embrace and hugged him tightly. Gru held her for a moment before setting her down and tapping her nose. "I will see yoo tonight."

"You'll be back in time to read us a bedtime story, right?" asked Agnes.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss eet."

Agnes waved wildly after him, stopping when the door clicked shut behind him. There was a small pang of sadness in her heart, for she didn't get to see him so much now that he was working for the Anti-Villain League. But she knew Gru always made it back home in time to read them a story, and she couldn't wait until then.

She tried to wrestle out of her white sparkly dress, which she had thrown on over her yellow shirt and overalls. She let out a grunt when it got caught around her head, trapping her in darkness. "Oof! Edith! Help me!"

When her sister did not respond, Agnes moved carefully down the hallway, her elbows bumping against the wall when she strayed too close. She gave a few frantic tugs, but the dress remained stuck. "Edith!" she whined.

A grip fell on the back of her dress, holding her in place before she could blindly walk directly into the stairs. "Tahw era uoy gniod?" asked Kevin in slight amusement.

"I'm stuck and Edith won't come to help me," cried Agnes.

"Ll'uoy evah ot maercs rof reh ot raeh uoy. S'ehs tog eht emulov deknarc pu," spoke Kevin. With a few hard tugs, he managed to free Agnes from fabric prison. She let out a dramatic gasp and plopped to the floor.

"Whew! Thanks, Kevin!"

"On melborp. Od uoy tnaw ot yalp sdrac?"

"Yes! Let's play Go Fish!" said Agnes eagerly.

"Yako, tub eb ydaer ot esol."

"Nuh-uh!"

Forgetting Gru's order, Agnes left her wedding dress draped over the edge of the couch and hurried after Kevin to the elevator. She failed to notice her very expensive dress being dragged off of the couch and out of the room.

…

Years of taking care of Agnes and Edith left Margo with a certain instinct that usually alerted her when something was wrong. Her head snapped up from her book as her instinct flared and she listened intently. Drawn out of the dream world of her novel, she was now aware of the silence, which was very unusual for the Gru household.

Margo set her hardcover book back on her shelf and left her bedroom. She jogged downstairs and followed the video game noises into the living room. Edith's eyes were glued to the screen, fingers flying over the plastic controller.

"Where is everybody?" asked Margo. "It's way too quiet in here."

"Didn't notice," muttered Edith. "Minions are in the lab, I guess."

"What about Agnes?"

"Dunno."

Scowling softly, Margo said, "That's reassuring."

With Edith accounted for, Margo went in search for her youngest sibling. Figuring she would probably be in the lab with the minions, she descended down in the elevator. She called out to the first passing group of minions and asked, "Guys, have you seen Agnes?"

"E'ehs gniyalp sdrac," replied Melvin, gesturing in the direction of the recreation room.

"Thanks!"

Perplexed why her intuition had acted up when everything seemed fine, Margo went to check on Agnes. The raven-haired girl was seated at a table with five other minions, squinting at her cards. The fluorescent lighting shone down on her and Margo did a double-take at the reflection glinting off something on Agnes' head.

"Agnes, what's in your hair?" asked Margo, moving closer.

"What?" Agnes patted her head and, when she didn't feel anything, pulled back her hand. At the silver glitter stuck to her palm, she said, "Oh, that must be from my dress. It got stuck when I was trying to take it off."

Margo's heart froze in her chest. "What dress?"

"My flower girl dress."

"Agnes, you're not supposed to wear that until the wedding!" scolded Margo. "Where is it now?"

"Gru told me to take it off, so I did."

"Did you hang it back up where you found it?"

"Um…" Sudden fear overtaking her features, Agnes said, "I don't know! Kevin helped me out of the dress and then he asked me to play cards!"

"Ehs tfel ti no eht hcuoc," said Kevin.

"But I was in the living room and I didn't see it," said Margo, growing panicked. "That's an expensive dress, Agnes, you should have been more careful with it!"

Face scrunching up, Agnes threw down her cards and burst into loud wailing. Margo flinched against Agnes' high-pitched shrieking, her hands itching to cover her ears. Instead she touched Agnes' shoulders, squeezing gently.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. We'll find your dress. I'm sorry I raised my voice."

"What if I don't find it?" said Agnes, her voice hitching on a sob. "Gru is gonna be so mad!"

"If we can't find it by the time he gets home, I'll explain what happened," soothed Margo, wiping the tears from Agnes' cheeks. "But we'll worry about that when we have to. We still have a couple of hours to search for it. Okay?"

"Okay," sniffed Agnes.

"Ll'ew pleh!" offered Kevin, and the other minions at the table chimed in their support. "S'ti sriatspu erehwemos."

The group left the recreation room and returned to the main level of the house. As they headed into the hallway, Margo asked, "Where do you last remember having it Agnes?"

"Near the front door. I went to give a goodbye hug to Gru. Um…and then he told me to take it off and I got stuck. And Kevin helped me get it off."

"Yes, you already told me that part," said Margo patiently. "You don't know what happened next?"

Agnes' brow furrowed in thought. "I think Kevin's right. I put it on the couch."

They filed into the living room, where the minions fanned out to search for the dress. Margo looked around the room intently but saw no sign of the silky white fabric. She turned her gaze to Edith, who was still glued to the television screen. Grabbing the remote from where it sat beside the blonde, Margo clicked the red button, sending the television to darkness.

"Hey!" cried Edith, jumping to her feet. "I was using that!"

"Good to see you can still move," said Margo. "We need your help."

Edith reached for the remote, scowling when Margo held it away from her grasp. "I'm busy! I was going to hit my high score before you came along and ruined it."

"Agnes lost her dress."

Her ire cooling at this piece of unexpected information, Edith's eyes widened. "Her flower girl dress?" At Margo's nod, a sharp smile spread across Edith's face. "Ooh, you are in so much trouble!"

When Agnes began to whimper, Margo snapped, "Never mind, Edith. We're going to find the dress before Gru gets back."

"Fine," said Edith with a shrug. "But I don't know why I have to help. I didn't lose anything."

They upturned couch cushions, checked behind curtains and rolled up the rugs. When it became clear the dress wasn't in the living room, they spread out throughout the house. They rifled through closets, peered under beds, stripped off sheets and blankets, upended hampers and tore through storage boxes. Soon the floors were covered with random items and articles of clothing, having been thrown about as the group searched feverishly for the missing dress.

"I lost my dress!" wailed Agnes, sinking to the tiles of the bathroom floor in defeat. Margo slammed the lid of the towel hamper shut, her expression twisted with perplexity.

"I don't understand. We've looked everywhere."

"I thought I left it in the living room," said Agnes tearfully. "I don't know where it went."

" _What in blazes is going on? Girls!"_

Nefario's loud shout startled both girls, and though the man was usually cranky, they had learned to identify by his tone when he meant business. Snagging Agnes' hand, the pair hastily raced down to the main level, where they nearly collided with Edith.

"It wasn't in the garden shed," she panted.

"Never mind that now," whispered Margo. They went into the kitchen, where they were immediately greeted with the sight of the contents of the cupboards in piles on the floor. Margo shot Edith a sharp glare and the blonde shrugged in response. She had been told to search for Agnes' dress, so that's what she did.

"What is this?" asked Nefario.

"What's what?" asked Edith.

"Don't get smart with me. What have you done to the kitchen?"

"Er…we were looking for something," muttered Margo. "Sorry. We'll clean it up."

Nefario frowned. "What were you looking for that was so important you tore up the whole kitchen?"

It was then that Agnes couldn't bear to keep the secret any longer and she cried, "I lost my flower girl dress!"

"You lost your dress?" repeated Nefario in bewilderment. "How do you lose a dress?"

"That's what I've been asking myself for the past twenty minutes," snorted Edith.

"Agnes was playing dress-up with her dress, and when Gru told her to put it away, she took it off and got distracted by Kevin and now she doesn't know what happened to it," summarized Margo. "We've looked everywhere, Uncle Nefario."

"Are you telling me the whole house is in the same state as the kitchen?"

"More or less," answered Edith. "Don't open the door to the garden shed. It took me forever to shove everything back in there."

"It just disappeared," said Agnes forlornly.

"Just disappeared, eh?" Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Nefario turned on his heel. "Come with me."

Exchanging curious glances, the trio followed after Nefario through the halls. They stepped out into the afternoon sunlight and crossed into the backyard. "Look down there," ordered Nefario, pointing to the gap beneath the stone steps of the back entrance.

While Margo hesitated, Edith immediately bounced forwards. The possibility of a wild animal lurking down there scared her not, in fact it excited her. Hoping to see a raccoon or a giant rat, Edith peeked into the shadowy space.

"Aw, geez. Found your dress, Agnes."

"What?" Eyebrows flying upwards, Margo inched Edith aside so she could get a look. There, amongst a next of shiny oddities that had been pilfered from the house, was Kyle, sitting on Agnes' glittery white dress. "Kyle! Get out here!"

The girls being the only ones Kyle obeyed without fail or attitude, the man-created beast slunk out. Edith gathered him into her arms and Margo reached into the space, brushing away cobwebs and pulling out Agnes' dress. The raven-haired girl's face crumpled at the sight of it.

"It's ruined! Gru's never gonna let me be the flower girl now!"

"Don't be foolish," dismissed Nefario. "Even if Gru discovered you dirtied the dress he'd never prevent you from being the flower girl at his wedding."

Margo, as she usually was, picked up on the elderly man's choice of wording first. "If?" she echoed. "I don't know how we're going to clean this, Uncle Nefario. I don't think this material can go through the washing machine."

"It doesn't need to be washed. I invented the perfect cleaning solution for just this sort of situation."

"It's not the same stuff that brought the ceiling down, is it?" asked Edith. "Because while that was cool, I don't think that's going to solve our problem."

"I've perfected the formula and it works like a charm," promised Nefario. "I'll bring up a bottle from the lab and I'll meet you inside."

The three girls hurried back into the house, where they found Kevin and the other minions in the living room. Kevin's face lit up at the sight of Margo carrying the dress, but it fell when he discovered its condition. "Tahw deneppah ot ti?"

"Kyle got his fangs in it and brought it to his hidey-hole," said Edith. "Uncle Nefario is grabbing his miracle solution to fix it."

"He did get all the kinks out since the ceiling debacle, right?" asked Margo, who was extremely wary of letting Nefario near the expensive dress with an unstable chemical concoction.

"Ho haey, shtnom oga," promised Harold.

"Well, he's our only hope," sighed Margo. "Thanks for helping us search. We better get this house back together before Gru gets home."

Edith made a face. "Does that mean I actually have to organize the garden shed?"

"Eventually. But start with the stuff Gru will see once he steps foot through the front door."

Giving off a salute, Edith went to start to put the kitchen utensils and dishes back into the cupboards. The minions decided to start with the living room and began putting the cushions and rugs back into place. Nefario returned a few minutes later with a clear spray bottle. Agnes clung to Margo's shirt anxiously as Nefario readied the bottle.

"Be careful!" she whimpered.

A cloud of blue mist escaped the nozzle and coated the stains covering the dress. The two girls watched in amazement as, after only a few seconds, the grime and dirt melted away, revealing pristine white. "Whoa," breathed Margo.

"I told you it would work," sniffed Nefario.

"Yay!" squealed Agnes, rushing to hug Nefario. "You fixed it! Thank you!"

"Keep that dress in your closet until the wedding so another debacle doesn't occur," said Nefario, briefly running his gloved fingers through Agnes' ponytail.

"I will Uncle Nefario," promised Agnes. "I'll take it upstairs right now!"

She grabbed hold of the dress and rushed into the hall. "I'm going to make sure she puts where she's supposed to," spoke Margo. "Thank you for your help!"

Nefario watched her scamper off and gave his head a shake. "Children," he sighed, but not without affection.


	6. Wedding Day

**I do not own the Despicable Me franchise.**

* * *

 **And finally, we've reached the conclusion. Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Until next time,**

 **AnimationNut out.**

 **Peace!**

* * *

 **Minion speak is written backwards. For example, review is weiver.**

* * *

 **Wedding Day**

Cell phone pressed tightly against his ear, Gru failed to keep the agitation out of his voice as he spoke to his mother. Though he could usually control the level of irritation he expressed whenever he spoke to the woman, the cliché and yet very real wedding day jitters made it impossible.

"Mother, I told yoo, we will pick yoo up at ten. No, I won't leave yoo behind." Rolling his eyes at Marlena's response, he said, "Yes, I know what yoo will do eef I don't pick yoo up. I don't know why yoo are worryeeng. I sent yoo an invitation, did I not?"

The elevator touched down in his lab and his eyes immediately locked on a gaggle of minions not wearing white bowties. "Oi!" he barked at them. "Yoo are misseeng somet'ing! What? No, not yoo Mom—I have to go. _Yes,_ ten o'clock. Bye."

He hung up with an exasperated huff and Jack frowned. "Ew t'nac dnif meht."

"Yoo can't find dem?" cried Gru. "I told yoo to keep dem in de box when dey arrived so yoo wouldn't lose dem!"

"Ew deirt meht no ylrae," said Harold.

"Well, yoo better go find dem, and fast," ordered Gru. "Yoo have less den two hours before all of yoo have to be at de park."

They saluted him and scrambled off to find their missing wardrobe pieces. Running a hand over his bald head, Gru did a quick prowl of the lab. The minions who weren't assisting with wedding preparations were lounging about until it was time to leave. He was satisfied to see a wave of white bowties affixed to denim overalls. It seemed most of them heeded his warning about not messing with the attire before wedding day.

"Donny," he said in exasperation. "Dat jar has been on yoor head for over a year. Are yoo sure yoo don't want eet off?"

Donny gave the glass jar trapped over his head a firm tap. "m'I doog," he replied before returning his attention to his video game.

Spending years with the creatures gave Gru a knowledge of when to pick his battles. He truly didn't care if Donny wanted to wear a jar to his wedding and he knew Lucy didn't either. So, if the minion wanted to keep it, he wasn't going to argue. Not this time, anyway.

"Where is Dr. Nefario?"

He hadn't seen hide nor hair of the man since he woke up, and that was at seven o'clock. Apparently neither had Donny, for all he gave was a shrug. Gru asked a few other minions on his way back to the elevator, but he received the same answer.

Before he could worry too much about this abrupt disappearance, his cell phone gave a sharp trill. He quickly answered it. "Hello?"

"Boss, nac uoy llac Mel dna llet mih ot teg sih ttub revo ereh?"

"Why?" asked Gru, apprehension beginning to well in his gut. "Where ees he?"

"Ew t'nod wonk. Eh dna eht srehto t'now rewsna ruo llac."

"Fine, fine," said Gru with a scowl. "How are de tables and chairs comeeng along?"

"Doog."

"Are yoo almost done?"

"Uh…uoy dluohs llac Mel."

The dial tone hummed in his ear and his scowl deepened. He punched in Mel's number with a little more force than necessary. Mel knew better than to ignore him and answered on the first ring. "Bello?"

"Why did John ask me to call yoo?"

There was a beat of silence on the other end. Gru's threatening growl spurred Mel into reluctantly explaining the situation he and his companions had landed in. They had gone to take a quick ice-cream break, but when they finished, they discovered that the truck carrying the last load of tables and chairs had been towed away for illegal parking.

"I am goeeng to kill yoo."

"Yrros! Er'ew gnixif ti!"

"Yoo better!" snapped Gru. "Why would yoo go for ice-cream? Yoo have a whole stash of dat stuff here! And dere's goeeng to be cake afterwards! Though I don't know eef yoo deserve any!"

"Eht selbat lliw eb ereht," said Mel hastily. "Ll'ti eb dehsinif."

"Yoo have less den two hours. De ceremony starts at noon."

"No ti! Od I llits teg ekac?"

Gru rolled his eyes heavenward as he hung up. He took a deep, controlled breath to try and keep the panic at bay. A shortage of tables wasn't the worst. A few guests would have to stand. Mel and his cohorts would be among them, if he didn't manage to free the truck from the impound lot.

He returned to the main level and immediately went to check on his daughters. Edith was sitting on the floor of the living room, her knees tucked against her chest as she watched television. Margo ran a brush through Agnes' long raven strands, gently working out the knots.

His heart swelled with love and affection as he regarded them, his little angels in white. "Yoo are beautiful."

They beamed at him. "Thanks Gru," said Margo cheerfully. "Are you nervous?"

"Nervous about marryeeng Lucy? No. Nervous about de day turneeng eento a disaster? Yes."

"It'll be fine."

"Mel and a few others went on an ice-cream run. Dey got de truck towed because of illegal parkeeng."

Edith let out a bark of laughter. "Seriously? That's awesome!"

"Not awesome," returned Margo, shooting her sister a pointed look.

"Not awesome," amended Edith, though she didn't bother to put sincerity into her tone, much to Gru's amusement. "Not terrible, though."

"I'm nervous," piped up Agnes, her tiny face scrunched with worry. "What if I trip? What if I drop my flowers?"

A smirk curled its way across Edith's face but a sharp, warning glare from Gru caused her to hold her tongue. "Yoo will be magnificent," said Gru, laying a tender hand on her shoulder. "Even eef yoo trip or fall. But I t'ink yoo will be fine. When yoo come down de aisle, just focus on me."

"Okay," said Agnes with a smile.

Margo finished brushing Agnes' hair and tied it up with an elastic. Turning to Gru, she said seriously, "We're really happy. For you, for Lucy, for—for both of you."

She had nearly said _for us_ , but thought that perhaps that would be too selfish. Gru wasn't getting married for them and he shouldn't. His happiness was the most important, not the fact that they were getting a mother. But Gru, as he always did, knew what she had been about to say and gently cradled her chin.

"I love Lucy. She makes me very happy. But I would not be doeeng dis eef yoo were uncomfortable. Yoor happiness ees important to me, and I am so glad yoo care for Lucy as much as I do. I love yoo gorls. Eet's because of yoo dat I am getteeng married, dat I had de opportunity to join de Anti-Villain League een de first place."

He felt his throat constrict as he thought about just how much they had given him. The ability to love and be loved, and to express his love openly. Without them, he doubted he would have ever met Lucy.

"We love you too," said Margo, her eyes shining just as bright as the smile on her features.

His three girls collided with him in a hug and he held them tightly. After a moment they separated and Agnes asked eagerly, "When can we see Lucy?"

"Soon," he said, lightly tapping her nose. "There are a few more t'ings to take care of before we head out. Are yoo all ready?"

"All set," said Margo with a nod.

"Sit and watch T.V. for a bit. I will come get yoo when we are ready to go. Thanks for getteeng yoor sisters ready."

"No problem."

Knowing that Margo would keep a watchful eye on Edith and Agnes, Gru went into the kitchen. Ralph was standing on a stool, painstaking applying yet another layer of buttercream frosting to the five layers of vanilla sponge cake.

"Ralph, what ees takeeng yoo so long?" demanded Gru.

"Noitcefrep sekat emit," returned Ralph, not tearing his one eye away from his masterpiece.

"Yoo still have to decorate eet!"

"Xaler. Ll'ti eb enod."

Setting his hands on his hips, Gru asked, "How ees eet Henry and Jackson made deir food on time and yoo are still workeeng on eet?" Casting a quick glance around the space, he added, "And where are de five yoo chose to help yoo?"

"Yeht tpek gnissem ti pu."

"Whatever," groaned Gru. "Yoo are leaving with us een about an hour. I don't care eef yoo haven't finished eet by den."

It was a slight manipulation tactic, considering Ralph's perfectionism. But it did the trick. Apprehension and nervousness crossed the minion's face as he hastily finished frosting his layer and picked up the coloured icing. "Right-o."

His cell phone trilled and Gru quickly answered it. "Mel, yoo better have some good—oh. Sorry. I was expecteeng someone else."

When he was greeted with the voice of the lead guitarist of the band he and Lucy had hired, Gru felt his stress raise a level. It only skyrocketed when the man apologetically informed him that by some strange, awful, _twisted_ coincidence, the band members all came down with a case of the stomach flu.

Almost tempted to throw the phone against the wall, as it hadn't brought him much good news that day, Gru instead slammed it onto the counter. Ralph jumped at the sound, nearly messing up his lavender piping work, and sent him a glance.

"Tahw?"

"De band cancelled."

Ralph shrugged. "Neht ksa Kevin."

Gru sent him a disbelieving look. "Seriously?"

"Yhw ton?"

Though Gru had several reasons why this wasn't necessarily the best idea, it was the only option he had, considering the reception was to begin in only a few hours. Heaving a long breath that did nothing to loosen his knot of agitation, Gru turned to head back to his lab.

"I should have stuck with de D.J."

…

A fully decorated cake sat neatly in a thick cardboard box, where it would be protected until its revelation at the beginning of the reception. Somehow, by methods Gru preferred not to think about, Mel managed to get the last of the tables to the park. The guests were already seated, not that there were many human ones—a few of their co-workers, most of them there for Lucy's sake, and a couple of Gru's neighbours. The rest of the space was taken up by his minions in a sea of yellow.

A wooden platform had been set up as a dance floor, and a long table lined the edge of it, piled with food. A white, wooden arch decorated with white roses sat at the end of the aisle, where Lucy and Gru would exchange their vows. Since the band fell through, Andrew brought his D.J. setup and an additional platform was hastily whipped up for him. It wasn't live music, like they were hoping for, but it would do.

Everything was in place. Except for one thing.

"Where are yoo?"

He practically yelled into the phone, causing Margo to shot him a reproving look. _"I'm at the community center,"_ replied Nefario. _"It's Friday. You know it's the day I destroy Mulligan at Blackjack."_

Gru pulled the phone away for a second to stare at it. Seeing her adoptive father's face turn red, Margo neatly snatched the phone from his grip. "Uncle Nefario," she said patiently, "today is the day Gru is getting married. Like, right now."

There a beat of silence. _"Are you sure?"_

"Positive. We're all at the park. The ceremony is going to start soon."

She let out an indigent sound when Gru yanked the cell phone back from her. "Yoo forgot my weddeng day?" he asked in disbelief.

" _I didn't forget! I didn't think it was today. I thought you said the twenty-fifth."_

"No, I said the fifteenth! It's been the fifteenth for months! Have yoo not been payeeng attention to de calendar? To when I talk?"

" _To be fair, you haven't mentioned the date that much,"_ defended Nefario. _"And why would I look at the calendar? You usually tell me when something is going on the day before it happens."_

Nefario had a point. But Gru had been so busy with finalizing the preparations and making sure everything would be done on time that he hadn't bothered to give his old friend a reminder. He didn't think he needed to. Clearly, he had been expecting too much.

"Just get over here," he snapped. "De ceremony starts een ten minutes!"

" _All right, don't get your knickers in a twist. I'll be there."_

Shoving his phone into the pocket of his dress pants, Gru instructed Margo, "Go wait for him by the entrance to the park."

"On it," she assured before taking off, her white dress swishing around her ankles as she ran.

"What's happened now?"

Gru turned to look at his mother, who stood behind him with her arms crossed. "Notheeng," he muttered. "Just a slight hiccup. Dr. Nefario may be runneeng a bit late."

"Ah, ees dat all?" said Marlena dismissively. "I thought maybe yoo were getteeng cold feet."

"My feet are far from cold," said Gru feelingly. "Een fact, I have never been so sure dat I'm doeeng de right t'ing."

Marlena regarded her son for a moment. Over the years, she had been able to see the drastic change in his demeanor. There was a certain light in his eyes, one that hadn't been there before. It shone brightly whenever he looked at his girls, at Lucy, and sometimes, if she was lucky, at her.

She hadn't been enough to put that light in him. She knew it and regretted it, but she simply hadn't been capable of giving him what he needed, not then. It was not how she had been raised, and not how she could raise. But now, as she felt her age in her bones and saw the love her son poured into his daughters, she acknowledged her mistakes and her shortcomings.

Setting a hand on his shoulder, she said, "I'm proud of yoo."

Shock prevented Gru from responding right away. Not once had she ever told him this, and he certainly hadn't expected it today. But as he recovered, his mother was already walking towards her table, posture straight and proud. She would pretend she hadn't said a word, but he heard her.

A smile breaking across his face, Gru said softly, "Thanks, Mom."

Nefario arrived in the nick of time, and was dragged over to Gru by Margo. She gave her father a thumbs-up before scampering off to join her sisters and Lucy. Nefario shuffled over to Gru and said, "Sorry, my boy. Could have sworn you said the twenty-fifth."

"We really need to upgrade dose hearing aids," said Gru with a roll of his eyes.

He gave the signal to Andrew, who began the play the wedding march. Gru stood near the minister, Nefario by his side. Everyone fell silent and turned their attention to the slope towards the end of the park, where Lucy would make her entrance.

Edith arrived first, her pink beanie slouching just slightly over her eyes. Margo came after her, a wide smile on her features, the bouquet of flowers in her hands trembling with joy. Agnes was last, skipping down the aisle formed between the mass of tables. She was positively beaming, scattering white rose petals as she went. Her gaze locked onto Gru's and he nodded encouragingly at her.

His three daughters stood on the other side of the minister. They turned eagerly to peer down the aisle and Gru felt his heart thud madly in his chest.

Lucy stepped over the grassy slope, the sun's rays catching the glitter on her veil and dress. The redhead was seized with an inexplicable urge to run to Gru but she refrained. She walked calmly down the aisle and came to a stop across from Gru, her eyes already sparkling with happy tears.

Gru felt the love rise in his chest and fill every part of his being. Seeing his soon-to-be wife and his daughters next to each other, he felt like the luckiest man in the world. And as far as he was concerned, he was. More so than anyone else.

They exchanged their vows and rings, and when he kissed his bride the minions exploded into cheers. Cheeks flushed red, Lucy gripped Gru's hand tightly. "I love you."

"I love yoo, too," said Gru, gently caressing her knuckles.

"Gnicnuonna Monsieur dna Madame Boss!" declared Andrew.

As they made their way to the dance floor for their first dance, Lucy said seriously, "I'm putting that on my driver's license. Madame Boss."

Giving a snort of laughter, Gru said, "I don't t'ink dey will accept dat."

"Darn. Oh well, Mrs. Gru _is_ better."

It didn't take long for the reception to be in full swing. The minions were experts at partying, and soon the music thumped through the park as Kevin, Bob, Stuart and Carl broke into their rendition of Y.M.C.A. Before they could get too sweaty from dancing, a couple of minions called them over for pictures.

The last snapshot was of all of them together—Gru, Lucy, the girls, Marlena, Nefario, Kyle and the minions. Just as the flash went off, something purple obstructed their view with a loud, "Bah!"

Everyone froze.

Eyes wide with disbelief, Gru stared at the mutant purple minion sniffing at the camera. "Mark?" he whispered.

Mark, who everyone believed to be lost since El Macho's failed plot, turned to stare at them. After a year and a half of persistent searching and coming up with nothing, Mark was right in front of them.

"Mark!" whooped Tim and Phil, charging forwards.

Startled by their movement, and realizing that he was vastly outnumbered, Mark sprinted off.

Chaos broke out.

"Don't let him get away!" thundered Gru.

The minions surged forwards and flabbergasted wedding guests jumped out of their way. Mark crashed through the tables, sending them flying as he tried to flee. Edith, Agnes and Margo were quick to join the chase and Lucy whipped around to stare intensely at Gru.

"The jelly antidote—you need to get it."

"We're on it!" said Nefario determinedly.

When Gru seemed torn, for he was not willing to let Mark leave his sight, Lucy clasped his hand. "He won't escape," she vowed. "I promise."

Giving a shaky nod, Gru said, "We'll be right back."

The two men sprinted off and Marlena turned to regard Lucy. "Yoo are a good match for him."

Startled by this admittance, Lucy said, "Why, thank you—"

"Why are yoo standeeng dere?" said Marlena, interrupting the girl before she could finish. "Go get him."

"Right! Yes, okay. I'll be back."

Lucy quickly ran off and Marlena crossed her arms over her chest, observing the frantic pursuit with great amusement. Silas Ramsbottom, who was standing stiffly off to the side watching the display, said distastefully, "Really. Why is he concerned with just one? The rest are just like it."

He went to take a drink, but let out a yelp of pain as something hard crushed the toes on his right foot. Stepping smoothly past him, Marlena said unapologetically, "Yoo were een my way."

Keeping his mouth shut, Silas limped to join his co-workers, muttering curses under his breath.

Across the park, the girls were in pursuit of Mark. "Bananas!" cried Agnes. "We need bananas!"

"We don't have bananas!" panted Margo.

"Where did he even come from?" asked Edith.

"Who cares? Just don't let him get away!"

The minions decided to form a barrier, which was a cinch when there were over ten thousand of them. No matter where Mark turned, there was a wall of yellow preventing him from continuing. He tried barging forwards, but several arms merely shoved him back.

Margo, Edith and Agnes found themselves in the middle of the giant circle. Mark whirled on them and snarled menacingly. Struck with déjà vu, Margo hastily shoved her two sisters behind her. "Careful," she warned. "He's not in his right mind."

"Clearly," drawled Edith.

She raced forwards, ignoring Margo's shout. Mark lunged when she came near him and she dove to the ground, sliding against the grass and knocking his feet out from under him. As he hit the ground, he grabbed her ankle and she twisted in his hold

"Get off!" she snapped, kicking at his arm.

"Heads up, sweetie!"

Edith brought her free leg closer to her body as Lucy hurried towards them. Activating her watch, she shot a blast of epoxy at Mark and encased him. Edith lay against the grass, her foot still held in Mark's grip.

"Thanks," she said cheerfully. "That was awesome."

"Edith, you can't do things like that!" snapped Margo, hurrying forwards with Agnes in tow. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

The minions crept forwards. Tim and Phil poked at the epoxy, which kept Mark's arms and legs pinned down. "Ti t'now truh ot teg mih tuo, lliw ti?" asked Tim worriedly.

"Not at all," promised Lucy. "This will keep him and us safe until Gru gets back with the antidote."

"You brought your watch with you to the wedding?" asked Margo in bemusement.

"You never know," said Lucy, tapping the side of her nose. "I always like to be prepared."

Gru and Nefario arrived ten minutes later. Lucy and Gru chipped away at the epoxy until Mark's mouth was revealed. The minion let out a loud, furious shriek, and promptly started coughing as he was force-fed jelly.

His body spasmed wildly for a second and soon the purple melted away. Mark gave an exhausted groan. "Ooh-la-la," he muttered.

Everyone erupted into cheers and the second Mark was freed, he was embraced by a sobbing Tim and Phil. Edith, Margo, Agnes and the minions were quick to follow, and a baffled Mark was buffeted from side to side as everyone tried to hug him at once.

"All right, all right! Give him some space!" ordered Gru.

There was some dissatisfied grumbling, but everyone shuffled aside to give Mark some air. Gru knelt down next to Mark and set a tender hand on his shoulder. "How are yoo feeleeng?"

"Enif," replied Mark, rubbing his head.

"Good." Intense relief flooding through him, Gru embraced Mark tightly. "I missed yoo."

"This is the best day ever," said Agnes happily.

"Talk about your perfect wedding present," said Lucy brightly.

"Gniddew?" repeated Mark. Utterly confused, he took in his surroundings properly for the first time. Gru was in a tuxedo, the redhead beside him was in a wedding dress, Agnes, Margo and Edith were in fancy white dresses, and his brothers were all wearing bowties.

Blinking, Mark turned to Tim and Phil.

"Tahw did I ssim?"


End file.
